Mythologizing
Mythologizing is the process of imbuing persons, events, practices, or objects with mythic qualities, transforming them into myths, legends, or archetypes. It involves framing experiences in ways that emphasize extraordinary, enduring, or universal significance beyond what verifiable facts alone would support.
The term derives from myth and the suffix -ize, with English usage dating to the 19th century.
Functions and methods: Mythologizing can aid legitimation, nation-building, social cohesion, and moral instruction, while also shaping
Examples span national founding myths, cults of personality, legends around explorers or reformers, and revisions of
Critics argue that mythologizing can obscure critical memory, justify unequal power, or gloss over harm. Scholarly